“Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.”
My Notes
What Does Nehemiah 13:26 Mean?
Nehemiah confronts the intermarriage problem by invoking Solomon's example: "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things?" The wisest, most blessed, most divinely favored king in Israel's history was undone by foreign wives. If Solomon couldn't survive the influence of mixed marriage, nobody can.
The phrase "yet among many nations was there no king like him" establishes Solomon's exceptional status before naming his failure. He was beloved of God. He was unique among nations. He had everything going for him. And "nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin." The most exceptional person fell to the most common temptation.
Nehemiah's argument is from the greater to the lesser: if Solomon — with his extraordinary wisdom, divine favor, and national blessing — was corrupted by foreign wives, what chance do ordinary people have? The example is chosen for maximum impact: you're not wiser than Solomon. If he fell, you will too.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If Solomon — with every possible advantage — fell through intimate relational influence, what makes you think you're immune?
- 2.How does the 'nevertheless even him' argument challenge confidence in your own spiritual strength?
- 3.What does the pattern repeating (post-exilic intermarriage echoing pre-exilic) teach about learning from history?
- 4.How do your closest relationships currently influence your spiritual direction — toward God or away?
Devotional
Solomon was the wisest, most blessed king in history. And foreign wives destroyed him. Nehemiah drops the most devastating name he can: if Solomon couldn't survive this, what makes you think you can?
The argument is from greatest to least: among all nations, no king like Solomon. Beloved of God. Divinely gifted with wisdom. Uniquely positioned for success. Every advantage available. And foreign wives caused him to sin. The most exceptional person fell to the most common temptation. If the wisest man failed, ordinary people have zero chance of succeeding where he didn't.
Nehemiah uses Solomon not as a distant historical reference but as a personal warning: you're doing exactly what destroyed your greatest king. The intermarriage that ruined Solomon's kingdom is happening again, right now, in the post-exilic community. The exile that resulted (in part) from Solomon's idolatry-through-intermarriage is barely over, and the pattern is repeating.
The 'nevertheless' (gam — even, also, despite all that) is the word that carries the warning: despite every advantage, despite unique divine favor, despite the greatest wisdom available to any human — even him. The advantages didn't protect. The wisdom didn't immunize. The divine favor didn't make him invulnerable to the influence of intimate relationships with people whose spiritual direction differed from his.
The principle is permanent: your closest relationships shape your worship. Solomon's wives didn't attack his theology. They influenced his heart. The shift from worshipping God alone to worshipping alongside other gods happened through the daily proximity of intimate partnership with people who served different deities.
If Solomon fell, the question isn't whether you'll be affected by your closest relationships. It's whether the influence will draw you toward God or away from him.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Remember them, O my God,.... The priests, and punish them: because they have defiled the priesthood; by marrying strange…
Did not Solomon - Have you not had an awful example before you? What a heavy curse did Solomon's conduct bring upon…
We have here one instance more of Nehemiah's pious zeal for the purifying of his countrymen as a peculiar people to God;…
Solomon king of Israel An argument from the greater to the less. If Solomon, the beloved of God, fell through this…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture